Setup (All from Horizon Hobby)
| Product | Item Number | Qty | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4400mAh 3S 11.1V G8 Pro Lite+ 25C LiPo | THP44003SPP25 | 1 | $89.99 | ||
| Product | Item Number | Qty | Price | ||
| XT-60 Type Connector Set 3.5mm | INTC23352 | 1 | $3.99 | ||
| Product | Item Number | Qty | Price | ||
| 3S Balance Adapter TP to JST XH | THPAL3S | 1 | $2.99 | ||
| Product | Item Number | Qty | Price | ||
| Lipo Voltage Checker and Balancer | HRC44173 | 1 | $19.99 |
Conditions
62 degrees Fahrenheit
Light breeze
ResultsThe Iris flew for just over 16 minutes before getting down to 10.53 volts. I landed and disarmed before the battery alarm went off. Current draw was under 14 amps average for the entire flight. I slowly flew it around a 15 meter radius at an altitude of 1-2 meters.
The Thunder Power battery weighs in at 320 grams whereas the stock battery (3500mAh) weights 259 grams. So for the additional 61 grams you get 900mAh. The battery fits perfect inside the Iris shell, but if I had to do it over again, I would have made the power connections shorter before soldering the XT60 connector. The SkyRC charger that 3DR supplied works fine for the Thunder Power battery, but I bought a standalone balancer just for peace of mind.
Overall I'm pretty happy with the battery, but I'd love to see a full writeup on the Zippy 5000mAh.
Replies
I fly with the Nano-Tech A-Spec 4500mah 65C. The short lead is actually a benefit: I put on an adapter to XT-60 and because the original lead was so short, you don't end you with tons of leads in the battery compartment.
I also have a few regular Turnigy 3600 mAh, that I fly with adapter cables. They already have very long leads and I need to tie them up with a rubber band.
Only warning about the Nano-Tech A-Spec 4500mah 65C: They have a discharge curve similar to the original 3DR, which goes down pretty steep after 10.5V. I therefore won't go below 10.7V.
Christian, Thanx for the info.
I could make my own adapter cable.
What are your zero payload flight times with that battery? Should be better than other batteries we are trying.Did you cut any foam out to get the door closed?
I'm looking for an alternative vendor to HK since I don't use PayPal or AsiaPay. My local hobby shop will also order it.
Thanx again, MP
I didn't have to cut out any foam and even with the short (1 cm) adapter cable it fits in very nicely. There is even a lot of space towards the top. Also the pack is very light.
I usually don't fly my LiPo all the way down, but did some test with all my packs. Here are the results: http://ardupilot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=6400&start=...
Keep in mind that this was the second flight for the Nano-Tech pack. I expect times to get better.
Also I did have a GoPro and waterproof case mounted on the front, but no long legs or Gimbal.
With that setup the stock 3DR batteries gave me 9-10 minutes to Bat. FS and the Nano-Tech gave me 14-14.5 minutes to Bat. FS.
From my research the Nano-Tech gives you the most energy (U*I) at a reasonable weight. Just the price is a bit high.
While there are some 5000 mAh 3S packs that would fit from Turnigy and Zippy, their weight is much higher.
Next I'll try some 4S packs, which have 3000 mAh. Their energy should be somewhere between the stock 3DR pack and the Nano-Tech because of their higher voltage.
Give us the time when fully loaded with gimbal, long legs and GoPro.
If someone can tell me the weight of the extra gear or the current draw at loiter for that setup, we can test it.
1688gms with gimbal, gopro hero3, long legs, and battery installed
stock battery
I was able to get 17.5 minutes of flight time after 3 charge cycles. (just the Iris without accessories)
Voltage measured by a multimeter after flight was 9.79v.
-Joe
I have 4 of the A-Spec nanotech 4500 batteries and with a gimbal I only get about 10 minutes of flight. I think the big limitation is the 10" props. Right now the hover current is about 20-21amps. That includes carrying a OSD and 5.8ghz video TX. Going to a 11 or 12" prop would help a lot.
But the batteries do actually hold 4500 and only weigh 275g.
So IRIS battery compartment is very limited. Probably you can just strap the 5500 / 5400 mAh battery outside the shell of the IRIS.
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